Professor John Bowman
Molecular genetics of the evolution of land plant morphology
Telephone: 9902 0241
Email: john.bowman@sci.monash.edu.au
Project 1: Investigation of morphological evolution in land plants
The origin of land plants was one of the most important events in the earth’s evolutionary history, allowing metazoans to colonize land. Key features associated with the evolution of the land plant body plan were the origin of a multicellular diploid sporophyte with three dimensional tissue patterning, leading to the plants that are familiar to us today. We are investigating gene function in a variety of model land plants as an approach to elucidating the molecular basis of morphological evolution in land plants. A variety of projects can be fashioned around experiments investigating the development and evolution in plants. For example, the investigation of the genetic basis for secondary growth, or wood formation, could lead to advances in tree growing that in turn will reduce clear felling of native forests. Such projects will use a combination of genetics and molecular techniques to analyze gene function in Arabidopsis, or other land plants such as moss or liverworts. For example, gain- and loss-of function mutations can provide insight to gene function and can be generated by a number of molecular approaches, and the action of genes can be monitored by examining expression patterns of specific genes either by in situ hybridization or by utilizing the jellyfish Green Fluorescent Protein. Results will provide insight into how major changes in body plan evolved in the land plants.
Project 2: Investigation of morphological oddities in native Australian plants
We are investigating morphological evolution in land plants, and while this includes the evolution of major innovations in body plan amongst plants, it also include the evolution of novel growth forms in more familiar plants. One example is Geococcus, and native of the southern reaches of the dryer inland of Australia closely related to the model plant Arabidopsis. Geococcus has a novel mode of seed dispersal in that, once fertilization occurs, the developing fruits are buried in the soil next to the parent plant, in manner similar to that of the peanut plant. Experiments would include the characterization of this form of growth at the morphological, physiological and molecular genetic levels, using molecular genetic and genomics techniques that have been developed for Arabidopsis.
